Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-04-13
Not Deceived.

draft enough to kill dozen well people,
And, Kitty, have one of the servants brin
that little air. tight stove down from th
trunkroom, and then see that there is
gentle fire kept up here at least until mid
day tomorrow. will be back in few
Moments"
had been trying to open my lips to sa,
something-to ask why / was lying in m!
bed at this hour of the day, or to reques
the bed !; but could not utter word.-
While l was wondering what allied me ant
why felt SO queer, one of the servants
who had entered with the little stove, sale
to her companion:
''Sure an the masther's that quare
Niver before did hear of amy one wantin
to keep dead man warrum begorra
some O. them gifts warrum enough where
they've gone, but not the likes o. Masthel
Fred"
Why had Norah such a sound of tears in
her voice?
'An' why, wonder, didn't some O. thin
miserable spalpeens round in the back
street git runned over an kilt, instead O.
him ~ Norah continued. "It will about
| kill his sister,
A cold chill came over me who were
they talking about Surely no one could
believe that was dead. A score of weird
tales which 1 had read came rushing
through my mind-how people had been
buried alive; how dear ones had permitted
husband, brother, father, even neither OF
child, to be neglected as past hope and
how, after infinite suffering. the supposed
corpse had struggled free from the coffin
and windingsheet and come home again
and I thought, too, of the many who had
never been able to free themselves, and
would have shuddered if I could have
moved muscle or even an eyelash but /
was as immOvable as any corpse.
In what seemed century I again heard
my sisters voice. Considering that her
only brother was supposed to be dead be-
fore her very eyes, l thought she seemed
very blithe.
''Oh, Otto,'' she said to her husband.
"then you do not think Fred is really
'sNo more dead than am, my dear ;.he
has evidently received severe blew upon
his head, which rendered him senseIess and
has thrown him into sort of trance or cat
aleptic state. have just been to see DR..
Burke and he says it is very probable. Any
| way, Kitty, l insist that the room be kept
warm, quiet and comfortable if alive, he
is weak, and this place, when l came into
it, was cold enough to have frozen any in
valid and then, if he is not alive. it will
do no harm to have the temperature little
high, for any sign of decay will settle his
condition beyond a doubt, and until 1 am
cutie positive he is dead / will give him the
benifit of the doubt"
| had always liked and respected my
grave brother-in-law now l loved him
How l blessed him for his words That he
would stick to them had no doubt, for he
| was perfect mule for obstinacy-no, no,
never again would l call him obstinate, but
firm
| certainly was weak, for I either dozed
now or had flint turn, for the next thing
l knew the room was warm, a soft scarlet
shawl YVES spread over my feet, as I could
see through my half-closed eyes, the cur
tains were drawn down, and the house was
delightfully."- still. My sister seemed to have
been persuading her husband into grudg-
ing consent to something, for he was say
ing;
"Well, have your own way, Kitty. l
can't pretend to fathom the minds of you
women, and you may be right. I do not
like the girl myself, and think our Fred
is thrown away on ber. But then, you see,
there never was but one woman in the
world to me-"
l
Otto do hope you are right, and that
dear Fred can hear what we say" answered
my sister, kissing me tenderly.
| If he can." answered Otto, laying his
firm, cool hand on my forehead, che knows
that he is to be cared for, and that no harm
shall come to him if Otto Kramer can de-
fend him."
Alas my tear-ducts too were paralyzed,
and the tears which felt rise in them
could 20 no further.
Kitty now spread a large white quilt
over me, letting it hang straight and
smooth, and then she and Otto left the
room. had faith in them, and again
allowed myself to lapse into state of un-
consciousness, from which / was aroused
by voice which l knew right well-the
voice of Fereline Palmer, my betrothed !;
she was saying, calmly:
81 will be glad. Mrs. Kramer, if you will
leave me quite alone with-with Fred for a
few moments; give me just five minutes
/ know You have never liked me, but surely
you will not refuse the last request l will
ever make of you.''
What could she mean? Could Kitty
have been so heartless as not to tell her
that Otto knew that I was still alive
Kitty and she were not good friends, for
my sister showed plainly that she did not
think Lima (whom she always spoke of by
her full name, Feroline) half good enough
for me; but / was of different opinion
In my eyes Lima was not cold, but only
full Of pure maidenly reticence that she
was at all mercenary was, to me, disproved
by the fact that Harold Carter, the matri-
monial prize of our town, had not been
able to win her from me, though every body
could see that he was head-over-heels in
love with her.
"Very WE'LL" answered my sister, in a
tone of a woman convinced against her
will, 81 will leave you now, and return in
five minutes
As Kitty shut the door behind her, felt
glow of pleasurable anticipation come
over me; I said to myself that surely the
warm kiss which Lima would give her dead
. lover would break this strange thrall that
held me as in wise, and that would seem
to come back to the life had never left
5 Fancy my surprise, then, to find that wher
she drew near my bed it was not to give
and say, in quite audible whisper
sFree at last Now, if can only ge
those idiotic letters of mine, l can easily
convince Harold and the world that
never, even at first, returned any of the
wild fancy Fred bothered me with.
wonder if, had never seen Harold, coult
ever have brought myself to care two
straws for Fred Monteith? But tim'
passes"
So saying, she drew from her pocket /;
little key which at once recognized. II
the earliest days of my courtship, wher
Lima was as yet not quite won, had hat
two oaken boxes made and fitted with very
: peculiar locks; one of these had given t.
Lima for her to keep her treasures (my LET
ters, lock of my hair, &c } in, and had
used the other myself for similar purpose
as she we'll knew. She only could UNLOCK
my box, for no other key but my OWL
would have any effect on 1t. She quietly
went to my table where the box was placed
: and opening it, she hastily spatched from il
the thick packet of her own letters. a bow
of blue ribbon, an old glove; and one OF
two pictures, and thrust them into hel
. pocket. Then she came to me, and taking
my hand in hers, drew from it ring shs
had once given me, and in its place put tht
one like If which had given her. the Onl,